oatelt



(No Model.)

" S. W. GATELY.

. CARRIAGE TOP SPRINQ No. 382,293. Patented May 8,` l888.

jectionable, because it has been found neces- SHEPARDl W. OATELY, OF CORTLAND, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, OF ONEHALF TO ALICE M. ETTLING, OF SAME PLACE.

CARRIAGE-TOP SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed January 9.6, 1888.

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, SHEPARD W. GATELY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gortland, in the county of Cortland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Top Springs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form part of this specilication.

My invention relates to aspring attachment for covered carriages, and has for its object to provide strong coiled springs in pairs, with hooks so constructed on each ot' their ends as to adapt them for ready application to any of the well-known styles of carriage-tops in common use without alteration or distigurement; to aid in raising and holding the top steady when up, and to prevent injury by the falling of the top when it is let down; and it consists in the construction hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

I am aware that coiled springs have been used heretofore on the arms projecting out from the seat-rails by permanently securing their ends within a perforation in the arm or within the end of a sleeve; but such constructions have been found objectionable, because the perforation weakens the arm,and whether used within the sleeve or upon the perforated arm of the seat the ends of the spring are rigidly secured, causing it to be broken much more easily when ,chilled or when there is more than an ordinary amount of strain upon it, as in throwing the top up or down, than is the case when the ends of the spring are left free to slightly move upon their attachments when the torsion of the body takesplace. The forms of springs used heretofore have also been obsary to prepare the projecting seat arms and braces of the top for the reception of the springs or sleeves containing the springs when the top is manufactured, or to be to the expense of taking the top apart for this purpose when it is desired to apply them.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of an ordinary carriage-top on a Patent No. 382,293, dated May 8, 1888. Serial No.261.960. (No model.)

seat, with my improved spring applied thereto ready for use. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side View of the right-hand coiled spring, with the parts to which it is attached shown in dotted lines. Fig.'3 is a like side view of the-left-hand spring. Fig. 4 is an end View ofa spring, of a slightly-modified construction.

Like letters of reference referto corresponding parts in each figure of the drawings.

A represents the top of a carriage, of usual construction, mounted upon a seat, B, adapted for that purpose.

C is a seatrail slightly elevated from the top of the seat and secured thereto by the ordinary downwardly-projecting angleirons c, fastened to the wood of the seat by screws; or the rail may be fastened by other suitable means, as by short rods from the rail extending into the seat. The scat-rail has laterally- 7o projecting arms D on the sides of its rear por tion, and arms E at the sides of its front end, to which the braces of the top are attached.

The braces cof the top are ofthe usual construction, having a hinged joint Within their length and an eye at theirlower ends adapted to pass over and fit the screw end ofthe arm D, projecting from the seatrail, and to be removably secured thereon by an ornamental nut, d.

In constructing my improvement strong coiled springs are employed of a length equal to the distance between the seat-arm and inside of the brace c of the top, and of a diameter somewhat greater than that of the arm. These springs are made in pairs, the right-hand one being formed differently from that of the left, so that two of a different construction are required as set to lit the different sides of a carriage.

The right-hand spring, F, has its inner end, f, extended up on the rear side to near the top of the coil, where it is bent outward at right angles to the spring in a line with the length of the coil and downward to form a hook, the extreme end of which is turned outward and back of the plane of the outside ofthe body of the coil, to adapt it, when the spring is in position on the arm, to tit over and hold upon the rail C of the seat.

rlhe outer end, f', of the coil is extended above the body from the front side, and is bent IOO outward at right angles to the spring in the direction of the length of the coil, having its extreme end slightly turned inward, forming a hook, which is caught over the brace a ofthe top near its point of attachment to the arm when the coil is placed upon the arm D. The left-hand coil-spring, I-I, has its inner end, h,

Y and outer end, h', upon different ends of the coil from that of spring F and are bent in substantially the same form. By this construction oi'right and left hand spring-supports it will be observed that they are adapted to be applied to any ordinary carriage-top when in an erect position by simply unscrewing the nut d and removing the end of the brace a from the arm.

The coil is readily slipped on the arm, and its inner end, f, is hooked over the seat-rail C, when it is made slightly tant by any suitable instrument and the brace replaced and the nut screwed upon the arm. The coil is then released, and as itrelaxes the outerend, f locks over the brace a of the top just above the pla ne of the arm D, and the lower end of the hook rests against the inner body of the nut. The spring is thus heldin position locked over the seat rail and brace by its own tension,4 as against any jarring or sudden action of the top that would have a tendency to displaceit from its bearings.

The inner end of thesprings is held fast upon the rail, while torsion of the coils is produced by the action of the braces upon their outer ends,windiug thesprings upand makingthem lmore taut when the top is let down, thereby preventing injury to the top by a sudden fall, and by their resistance the springs aid in raising the top again to its upright position and holding it there by the tension .of the coils.

In my ready-adj ustable springIdo not, however, confine myself' to va hook, f, bent outward in the line of the length of the coil to be locked over the seat-rail for holding one end of the spring from turning, as this hook may be made square and on a line with the coil, as shown in an end view in Fig. 4, so that the and the arm D is secured directly to the seat.

If desired, these springs may be enveloped in a tight-fitting cover of ornamental leather, or of the same kind of leather as the top, extending the length of thecoil,with thehooked ends projecting beyond the cover, which would not interfere with their application to the vehicle nor to their operation thereon.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A coil-spring for the arms of carriage-seat rails, having on its inner end va hook to pre vent the inner end of the coil from turning,and on its outer end ahook integral with the coil, adapted to lit over the vertical brace of the top, as set forth.

2. A coil-spring for the arms of carriage-seat rails, having hooks on its ends at right angles to and integral with the spring and on a line with the length of the coil, the hooks on the inner end tting over the seat-rail and the hooks on the outer end fitting over the brace of the top, as and for the purpose set forth.

V3. The combination, with a seat-rail having laterally-extending arms with top braces attached thereto, of coil-springs on said arms, having hooks on their ends integral therewith, the hooks on their inner ends adapted to t over the seatrail and hooks ou their outer ends adapted to fit over the brace of the top, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SHEPARD W. CATELY.

Vitnesses:

R. H. DUELL, H. S. HUDSON. 

